The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for his left and right knee arthritis, as well as his cervical spine DDD. The evidence did not support a rating higher than 10 percent for any of these conditions.
The deciding factor: The VA-authorized examination found no limitation of motion or other abnormalities in either knee that would warrant a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes. For the cervical spine, the examiner noted mild DDD without ankylosis and normal range of motion figures.
- Claimed conditions
- Arthritis of both knees, Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) of the cervical spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 7, 2006
- Citation
- 0606488
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issues of entitlement to an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent prior to December 26, 2007, and in excess of 20 percent thereafter for degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the cervical spine due to inadequate explanation of denial of higher evaluations.
- Denied
The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the lumbosacral spine prior to October 29, 2021, and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities prior to April 25, 2017.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher disability rating and entitlement to TDIU, as the evidence did not support an increase in the current ratings or the grant of TDIU.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board granted the reopening of claims for service connection for degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine and cervical spine, but remanded all other issues for further development.
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